Rockies’ Marquis first to win dozen

‘AT HIS BEST’ The All-Star right-hander struck out three and walked none while only giving up five hits and one run, as well as sending two runners home in the sixth

REUTERS AND AP, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, AND MIAMI

Colorado Rockies starter Jason Marquis pitches in the first inning against the San Diego Padres in San Diego, California, on Sunday.

PHOTO: AP

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Jason Marquis became Major League Baseball’s first 12-game winner this season when he led the Colorado Rockies to a 6-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Marquis (12-6), in addition to a strong eight innings on the mound, drove in two runs with a double in a four-run sixth inning.

“I haven’t swung a bat in the past week or so with the All-Star break, and I hadn’t taken [batting practice] this road trip yet,” Marquis told reporters. “I felt good and I just tried to see it and hit it as hard as I could.”

The All-Star right-hander struck out three and walked none while giving up five hits and one run.

“When he starts throwing strikes early in the count and gets the opposition swinging, the ball starts getting hit on the ground [and] he gets a lot of easy outs,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “This is when Jason Marquis is at his best, and he was today.”

Ian Stewart and Brad Hawpe also hit solo home runs for Colorado, who won for the seventh time in 10 games.

Stewart gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead with his fourth-inning homer and Hawpe made it 3-0 with his blast in the sixth.

The win spoiled the Major League pitching debut of 21-year-old Padres rookie Mat Latos (0-1), who gave up three hits and two runs in four innings. He struck out four and walked one.

“There’s no questioning the fastball and the arm that the kid has,” Tracy said. “He’s got a very powerful arm. When he starts to get to the point where he commands his secondary pitches, he’s going to be a tough customer.”

PHILLIES 5, MARLINS 0

Unbeaten rookie pitcher J.A. Happ allowed five hits in seven innings as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their longest winning streak since 2006 to eight games by beating the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Happ (7-0) also singled with two outs to start a three-run rally in the second inning.

Jimmy Rollins had three hits by the third, while Raul Ibanez doubled home two runs for the Phillies, who have won eight in a row in Miami.

Philadelphia won for the 12th time in 13 games. The winning streak is the Phillies’ longest since they won nine in a row April 30 to May 9, 2006. They are 29-15 on the road, best in the majors.

Florida fell seven games behind Philadelphia in the NL East.

In other NL action, it was:

• Reds 5, Brewers 3

• Cubs 11, Nationals 3

• Giants 4, Pirates 3

• Cardinals 2, Diamondbacks 1

• Dodgers 4, Astros 3

• Braves 7, Mets 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AP, TORONTO

Roy Halladay allowed just six hits to win for the first time since June 7 and Rod Barajas drove in three runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays past the Boston Red Sox 3-1 in the American League on Sunday.

Halladay (11-3) could be the biggest prize available before the July 31 trade deadline. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said this month he would field offers for the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, who is signed through next year.

YANKEES 2, TIGERS 1

At New York, Joba Chamberlain won for the first time in almost a month as New York got home runs from Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in a victory over Detroit that completed a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders.

Chamberlain (5-2) rebounded from two ineffective starts and New York edged punchless Detroit 2-1 for the second consecutive day.

Chamberlain allowed three hits over six-and-two-third innings in his longest effort since he tossed eight innings in New York’s 5-2 victory at Cleveland on June 1. He struck out eight and walked three as the Yankees pulled within one game of AL East-leading Boston.